Machine for removing cartons from packages



INVENTOR.

July 12, 1966 A. w. ANDERSON MACHINE FOR REMOVING CARTONS FROM PACKAGES4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11, 1963 s L ///////////////07//A ANDREW WA/VDL'FSO/V QMTm/H July 12, 1966 A. w. ANDERSON MACHINE FOR REMOVINGCARTONS FROM PACKAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 11, 1965 N A Mg a a A EVwV 7 47 A I 7% my a w I A ow r & Q h Sn NQ an INVENTOR, ANDREW W.A/VDfASd/V ATTORNEY July 12, 1966 A. w. ANDERSON MACHINE FOR REMOVINGCARTONS FROM PACKAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 11, 1963 INVENTOR.AND/PE W IM A/VDfRSd/V BY Q AT ORNEY July 12, 1966 A. w. ANDERSONMACHINE FOR REMOVING CARTONS FROM PACKAGES Filed. July 11, 1963 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR A/VDAE W W ANDERSON United States Patent3,260,388 MACHINE FOR REMOVING CARTONS FROM PACKAGES Andrew W. Anderson,West Caldwell, N.J., assignor to Scandia Packaging Machinery Company,North Arlington, N..I., a corporation of N ew Jersey Filed .Iuly 11,1963, Ser. No. 294,313 7 Claims. (Cl. 214-310) This invention relates toa method of and a machine or apparatus for removing cartons frompackages enclosed therein.

Packages such as cigarette packages are packed in cartons for sale.However, they are assembled in groups and placed in the cartons. It issometimes desired to take them out of the cartons and sell them insmaller groups.

After the packages have been placed in the cartons they fit tightly andit is difficult to empty the cartons as friction between the packagesand between the packages and the walls of the carton and suction in thecarton behind the packages hold the packages tightly in place.

This invention has for its salient object to provide a simple andpractical machine or apparatus for easily and quickly emptying a cartonof the packages enclosed therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andeificient method of removing packages from a carton.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings which form part ofthis application and in which FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a machineconstructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken substantially on line 22of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a package in position onthe support with the package-engaging means in raised position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the position of the partswhen a new carton has reached its forward position;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 3, the parts being in theposition reached after the carton has been removed from the packages;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 at a later stage of the operation ofthe machine as will be hereinafter described;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through the package support showing thecarton thereon prior to removal from the packages;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the carton and thepackages with the package holding suction cups in forward position inengagement with the packages; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective elevational view of the carton with the closingflaps open.

The invention briefly described comprises means for supporting andfeeding a loaded package with the closing flaps open, means for engagingand holding the packages, and means for blowing the cartons away fromthe packages enclosed therein by air blasts directed above and below thepackages in the carton.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings the apparatus or machine comprises a table or supportingsurface 20 above which is mounted a feed chain 21 having a feeding lug22 which engages the carton placed on the table or support and feeds thecartons forwardly to a position indicated at A.

The chain 21 is rotatably mounted on a sprocket 23,

3,26%,383 Patented July 12, 1966 on a shaft 24, on a sprocket 25, and ona shaft 26. The shaft 26 is driven by a belt and pulley connection froma shaft 27 of a motor M. The shaft 24 is driven as shown in FIG. 3 by asprocket and chain connection from shaft 26.

Package holding means When the loaded package of cigarettes reaches theposition shown at A in FIGS. 4 and 7 two operations are carried out,namely, means is moved into operating position to engage the outer endsof the packages to hold them against movement and after this holdingmeans has come into operation means in the form of .air blasts aredirected inside the cartons above and below the cigarette packages toremove the carton from the cigarette packages which are being held. Thisis accomplished in the following manner.

Before the holding means comes into operation it is necessary that theloaded cartons be accurately positioned in the position indicated at A.It is also necessary that the carton be effectively backed up or heldagainst lateral movement on the platform when the package holding meanscome into operation. The carton is backed up in this manner by a plate30 which is mounted at the upper end of a slotted bar 31 which in turnis supported on a stud 32 and a shaft 33. The bar 31 has a roller 34which engages a cam 35. The bar 31 is held downwardly by a spring 36which holds the roller 34 against the cam 35.

The cam is so designed as to hold the plate 30 in its lower positionwhen the roller is in engagement with the portion 38 of the cam and tohold the plate in its elevated position when the roller 34 engages theportion 37 of the cam surface.

After the carton has been fed to the position A stop means is providedto determine its forward movement and this stop means consists of a lug40 which is momentarily positioned in the path of movement of the cartonby reason of the portion 41 of cam 35 in engagement with the roller 34on the bar 31. The operating position of the portion 41 of the cam 35 isshown in FIG. 5.

When the package has reached the position A it will be disposed oppositea bar which is mounted on the top of plate 51. The plate 51 has abushing 52 slidably mounted on a shaft 53 on which is mounted a cam 54engageable with a roller 55 carried by the bushing 52. The shaft 53 isdriven by a chain 56 from the shaft 26. As the shaft 53 is thus rotatedthe cam 54 will act on the roller 55 carried by the bushing 52 and movethe plate 51 and bar 50 into operating position. The plate is alsoengaged by a spring 58 which forces the plate 51 and block 50 to theright or to retracted position after it has been moved forward by thecam 54.

The block 50 has mounted thereon a plurality of suction cups 60 whichcommunicate with the suction conduits 62 inside the block and theseconduits are connected to a conduit 63 which connects at its other endto a suction chamber 64. The chamber 64 has a plunger valve 65 which iscontrolled by a lever 66 pivoted at 67 to a bracket 68 mounted on thechamber 64. The lever 66 carries a roller 70 which engages a cam 71mounted on the shaft 24. As the cam is rotated the lever will be movedto open and close the valve 65 and thus connect the suction cups 60 tothe suction chamber 64.

The sequence of operations is so timed that the block 50 will be movedforward to operating position when the carton has been positioned at theposition A and the plate 30 has been raised by the cam 35 to theposition shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The shaft 33 which rotates the cam 35is connected to the shaft 26 by a chain 69. As soon as the block 50 hasbeen moved to its forward position shown in FIG. 9 the plate 30 islowered by the operation of cam 35 to the position shown in FIG. 1.

When the holding operation has been made effective and the packages areheld by the suction connected to the suction cups 60, the carton isblown off from the packages or removed from the packages by air blastsin the following manner.

Carton blasting means The block 50 in addition to housing th suctionconduits for the suction cups 60 also has air blast conduits 75 and 76which lead to a plurality of conduits 77 and 78 which as shown in FIG. 9diverge away from each other and lead to outlet openings 79 at thebottom block and to outlet openings 80 at the top of the block 50. Theconduits 75 in the block are supplied with air under pressure by aconduit 81 which leads to an air chamber 82 having a valve 83 controlledby a lever 84 pivoted at 85 to a bracket 86 on the air chamber 82. Thelever 84 has a roller 87 which engages a cam 88 mounted on a shaft 24.

After the carton has been moved to position A on the platform 20opposite the block 50 and the packages in the carton have been engagedby the suction cups and held in position the plate 30 is moved todepress position as shown in FIG. 1 and air from the air chamber 82 willbe released through the valve 83 to the conduit 81 and will be directedthrough the divergent conduits 77 and 78 into the carton beneath theupper wall 90 and above the lower wall of the carton 92. As the airblast enters the carton it will relieve the friction between thepackages and the lower and upper walls thereof and will also pass inback of the packages thus exerting pressure in back of the packages andblowing the carton from the packages which are being held by the suctioncups.

It will be understood that the various cams are so designed as tofunction effectively to move the block 50 into operating position and tocontrol the position of the plate 30 and control the suction and airblast valves to eject the air and remove the carton from the packages asthey are held by the suction cups.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described it will be understood that the invention is capable ofmodification and that changes in the structure and arrangement of thevarious parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing cartons from a plurality of packages enclosedtherein comprising means for supporting the loaded cartons, suctionmeans above the support for holding the individual packages and meansoperable, while the packages are being held, for directing air blastsinto the carton above and below the packages therein for flexing theupper and lower walls of the carton and freeing them from frictionalcontact with the packages for more effectively blowing the cartons awayfrom the packages.

2. Apparatus for removing cartons from a plurality of packages enclosedtherein comprising means for supporting the loaded cartons, means forfeeding the loaded cartons on the support, removable means for stoppingthe cartons in a predetermined position, suction means above the supportfor engaging and holding the individual packages and means operable,while the packages are being held, for flexing the upper and lower Wallsof the carton and freeing them from frictional contact with the packagesfor more effectively blowing the cartons away from the packages.

3. Apparatus for removing packages from cartons comprising a support forthe cartons of packages, means to feed the cartons along the support,suction conduits disposed above and along the back edge of the path oftravel of the cartons, and air blast conduits disposed along the backedge of the path of travel of the cartons and spaced to direct airblasts below and above packages in the carton for flexing the upper andlower walls of the carton and freeing them from frictional contact withthe packages for more effectively blowing the carton away from thepackages, said suction conduits being connected to a source of suctionand said air blast conduits being connected to a source of air pressure.

4. Apparatus for removing packages from a carton comprising a supportfor cartons of packages, suction cups disposed above the supportengageable with the individual packages in the carton, air blastconduits disposed above the support for flexing the upper and lowerwalls of the carton and freeing them from frictional contact with thepackages for more effectively blowing the cartons away from thepackages, and means for moving the suction cups and air blast conduitstransversely toward and away from the path of travel of the cartons onthe support.

5. Apparatus for removing packages from a carton comprising a supportfor cartons of packages, suction cups disposed above the support, airblast conduits disposed above the support for flexing the upper andlower walls of the carton and freeing them from frictional contact withthe packages for more effectively blowing the cartons away from thepackages, means for moving the suction cups and air blast conduitstransversely toward the path of travel of a carton on the support when acarton reaches a predetermined position on the support, and means forconnecting the suction cups to a source of suction when the cups havebeen moved toward the carton and packages.

6. Apparatus for removing packages from a carton comprising a supportfor cartons of packages, suction cups disposed above the support, airblast conduits disposed above the support, means for moving the suctioncups and air blast conduits transversely toward the path of travel of acarton on the support when a carton reaches a predetermined position onthe support, means for connecting the suction cups to a source ofsuction when the cups have been moved toward the carton and packages andmeans for connecting the air conduits to a source of compressed air whenthe air blast conduits have been moved toward the carton and packagesand in a position to direct blasts of air between the upper and lowerwalls of the carton and packages contained therein for flexing saidupper and lower walls and freeing them from frictional contact with thepackages for more effectively blowing the cartons away from thepackages.

7. Apparatus for removing packages from a carton comprising a supportfor cartons of packages, suction cups disposed above and to one side ofthe support, air blast conduits disposed above on said one side of saidsupport, means for moving the suction cups and air blast conduitstransversely toward the path of travel of a carton on the support when acarton reaches a predetermined position on the support, a backing platedisposed on the other side of the support and at the outer edge of thepath of travel of the cartons and means for raising the plate above thesupport when a carton reaches a predetermined position on the supportand the suction cups are moved into operative position in engagementwith the packages, means to apply suction to said packages in the lastmentioned position, said means for raising the plate being then operatedto the lower plate, means for delivering air to said air blast conduitswhile the plate is lowered to thereby blow away the carton across thearea formerly occupied by the plate while the suction cups are securedto the packages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,738,899 3/1956Hansen et a1 221-278 2,975,920 3/1961 Reed et al 214309 3,057,49710/1962 Stadelman 214309 3,099,120 7/ 1963 Brunn 221-278 HUGO O. SCHULZ,Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

A. GRANT, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CARTONS FROM A PLURALITY OF PACAKAGES ENCLOSED THEREIN COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE LOADED CARTIONS, SUCTION MEANS ABOVE THE SUPPORT FOR HOLDING THE INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES AND MEANS OPERABLE, WHILE THE PACKAGES ARE BEING HELD, FOR DIRECTING AIR BLASTS INTO THE CARTON ABOVE AND BELOW THE PACKAGES THEREIN FOR FLEXING THE UPPER END LOWER WALLS OF THE CARTON AND FREEING THEM FROM FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH THE PACKAGES FOR MORE EFFECTIVELY BLOWING THE CARTONS AWAY FROM THE PACKAGES. 